Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Islam Makhachev could have a harder time defeating Charles Oliveira in their rematch.
In October 2022, Makhachev fought Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title. Oliveira was on an incredible eleven-fight win streak at the time, but the Russian wouldn’t be denied in the UFC 280 main event.
In the second round, Makhachev secured an arm triangle to become the 155-pound king. Since then, Oliveira has been extra motivated to regain the lightweight throne, leading to a first-round TKO win against Beneil Dariush in June of this year.
On October 21, Oliveira has an opportunity to avenge his loss against Makhachev in the UFC 294 main event. It’ll be easier said than done for ‘Do Bronx,’ as the reigning lightweight champion continues to evolve his striking to complement his world-class grappling.
With that said, Oliveira has proven to be one of the most dangerous fighters on the UFC roster. The highly-anticipated lightweight rematch will take place inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, where Makhachev is expected to be a massive fan favorite.
Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Charles Oliveira has nothing to lose in rematch against Islam Makhachev
Khabib Nurmagomedov has been a primary training partner and coach for Islam Makhachev. Although he’s taken a step back from MMA, Nurmagomedov continues to support and positively influence the lightweight champion’s fighting career.
During an interview shared on YouTube, Nurmagomedov was asked the following question:
“Let’s get back to Islam [Makhachev] and his rematch with Charles Oliveira. Do you think the rematch will be harder than the 1st fight?”
‘The Eagle’ responded by saying:
“For Islam, there will be more risk. Oliveira has nothing to lose, he has already lost. I think it won’t be an easy fight for both of them. But for Islam, the 2nd fight will be more difficult than the 1st. This is just my personal opinion.”
Islam Makhachev made his UFC debut in May 2015. He won his first fight in the Octagon before suffering a first-round knockout loss against Adriano Martins. Since then, he’s won twelve consecutive bouts, including his latest against Alexander Volkanovski in February of this year.
On October 21, Makhachev looks to continue his win streak by securing his second title defense in the UFC 294 main event against Charles Oliveira.
